As we inch closer to playoff time in many fantasy leagues, it is the next 4-5 weeks that will decide if your team is a championship contender or pretender. Therefore, it's crucial that you maximize the production from your starting lineup, or it's "wait until next year". To that end, I'll try to discuss interesting situations around the league that may be helping or hindering certain fantasy players. Of course, there will always be possible free agents to discuss each week. Let's get right to it...

 

 

 

Indianapolis Colts QB Carson Wentz completed 22 of 30 passes for 272 yards with three scores and no picks in the team's 45-30 win over the Jets last Thursday night. Wentz produced one of his best games of the season and has now thrown for three touchdowns in two straight games with 17 total TDs over nine games played. Best of all, the schedule doesn't get much tougher when the Colts host the Jacksonville Jaguars this week. While the Jaguars shut down the high-powered passing game of the Bills, it will be much tougher to do that against the Colts, since Indianapolis has one of the best running games in the league. In other words, the Colts will use the running game to open the passing game for Wentz, meaning another quality game should be in store. If Wentz is on your waiver wire, pick him up either to spot start him or hold him as your backup moving forward. Now that he's healthy and has developed chemistry with his receivers, Wentz has become a solid low-end QB1 moving forward most weeks!

 

 

Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan completed 23 of 30 passes for 343 yards and two scores, while adding eight yards and a touchdown on five rushing attempts in Sunday's shoking 27-25 win over the Saints. Early in the game, both offenses struggled, but Ryan gave the Falcons a 10-0 lead with a three-yard touchdown pass to WR Olamide Zaccheaus just a few seconds before halftime. Ryan added his first rushing touchdown of the season in the third quarter, going in untouched on a bootleg from one yard out. He found Zaccheaus for another score in the fourth quarter, this time from six yards away to take a 24-6 lead. The Saints responded with 19 unanswered points, but the Ryan calmly worked the Falcons into field goal range to win it and avoid another infamous Atlanta collapse. Ryan topped his previous season high in passing yards in his game and has compiled a solid 15 TDs to only 6 interceptions ratio heading into this week's trip into Dallas. Overall, Ryan has thrown for multiple touchdown passes in all but one of his last seven games. Very quietly, Ryan has become a very solid QB2 for fantasy owners in need. Yes, he struggled the previous week, but the addition of RB/WR Cordarrelle Patterson has made all the difference in the world, even without WR Calvin Ridley, Ryan has shown he can produce solid numbers most weeks.

 

 

The New Orleans Saints gave QB Trevor Siemian his first start for the team on Sunday, and he completed 25 of 41 passes for 249 yards with two scores during a 27-25 loss to Atlanta. Getting his first start of the season with QB Jameis Winston (torn ACL/MCL) injured, Siemian had a quiet start to the game, but nearly pulled the Saints out of an 18-point hole in a matter of minutes during the fourth quarter. In fact, Siemian led a go-ahead touchdown drive with just over a minute left in regulation only for the Falcons to come back with a game-winning field goal. The big question remains... Will Siemian remain the starter over QB Taysom Hill going forward? That is up for debate, but I can say the following... Siemian attempted more passes than Winston did in any single game this year, and the team's schedule moving forward will be more favorable for the passing game. I guess what I'm trying to say is that fantasy owners in need should give Siemian a look, but just keep in mind that he may not keep the stating job, so be prepared to make alternative plans it is revealed that QB Taysom Hill will start later this week.

 

 

Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield completed 14 of 21 passes for 218 yards and two scores in Sunday's 41-16 win over the Bengals. After a pick-six and a rushing touchdown put the Browns up 14-7, Mayfield threw a sweet 60-yard touchdown pass to WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, who is now expected to be his top downfield target moving forward with the release of WR Odell Beckham Jr. upon us. On Sunday, the running game and staunch defense continued to lead the way, but Mayfield managed to pad his stats a bit with an 18-yard touchdown pass to TE David Njoku after the Browns had already put grabbed a big lead. That is all sounds good, but since the Browns rely so much on their running game, Mayfield has topped 250 passing yards only twice this season. Let's just call him a game manager, and we all know that game managers do not produce well enough numbers for true fantasy consideration. In other words, unless you play in a 16+ team league or a 2-QB starter league, Mayfield is best left on the waiver wire.

 

 

Denver Broncos QB Teddy Bridgewater completed 19 of 28 passes for 249 yards and one score against the Cowboys in a shocking win in Dallas on Sunday. He also rushed for touchdown during the game. Bridgewater struggled in recent games, but once he got WR Jerry Jeudy back, things have settled down nicely for him and the Broncos. Overall, Bridgewater has thrown at least one touchdown in each of his last six games and has completed at least 70% of his passes in five of his nine games. He scored nearly 25 fantasy points on Sunday, and gave hope to those that held onto him during his struggles that he could turn his season around. This week, the Eagles come to town, a team with an inconsistent defense. With the running game producing well, things should open up for Teddy, making him a nice QB2 for fantasy owners in need. In other words, pick him up and start him if you need him!

 

 

San Francisco 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo completed 28 of 40 passes for 326 yards and two scores with one pick in a loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Garoppolo didn't produce much until the final drive of the first half when he connected on a TD pass to a now healthy TE George Kittle to make it 17-7 deficit. Unfortunately, by the time he got it going in the second half, Arizona had a 24-point lead midway through the third quarter. Bottom Line: Despite his garbage time production, it is becoming clear that the 30-year-old Garoppolo is not the difference-maker that the 49ers need at the QB position. With the playoffs slipping away, it is only a matter of time before rookie QB Trey Lance is named the starter. If that doesn't happen this week against the Rams, this game might be the straw that broke the camel's back if Garoppolo doesn't pull the upset or at least keep the game competitive. And this will be a tall order for a struggling 49ers team to upset a ticked off Rams team that got owned by the Titans in their own building on Sunday night!

 

 

Let's take a look at some of the other more notable QB performances from last week... New England Patriots QB Mac Jones threw for one score on Sunday against the Panthers. Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr threw for one score on Sunday against the Giants. New York Giants QB Daniel Jones threw for one score on Sunday against the Raiders. Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins threw for two scores on Sunday against the Ravens. Arizona Cardinals backup QB Kirk Cousins threw for one score on Sunday night against the 49ers. Tennessee Titans QB Ryan Tannehill threw for one and ran for one score on Sunday night against the Rams. Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields threw for one score on Monday night against the Steelers. Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger threw for two scores on Monday night against the Bears.

 

 

 

 

Chicago Bears RB David Montgomery returned to action on Monday night and many expected a timeshare to play out with rookie RB Khalil Herbert. That was anything but the case. In reality, Montgomery instantly returned to an every-down role despite Herbert's impressive recent play. Montgomery actually played every offensive snap in the first quarter and only occasionally took plays off to rest throughout the balance of the game. Chicago did run a few plays out of the wildcat offense, which put both backs on the field, but in the end, Herbert only saw four carries in the game for 13 yards. Monty actually caught both of his targets, while Herbert was not involved at all in the passing game. Bottom Line: Montgomery is the workhorse back for the Bears when healthy and that is not changing. Thus, if you did not sell high on Herbert last week if you don't also own Montgomery, then you are likely out of luck. It will take another injury to Monty to make Herbert fantasy relevant again n 2021.

 

 

The Baltimore Ravens have been without RB Latavius Murray (ankle) for two games noe due to an ankle injury. That injury has given RB Devonta Freeman time to establish himself as the clear top-two tailback on the team. Freeman actually played more than the other backups put together, becoming the first back to play in over half of the team's offensive snaps in more than a month. Freeman rushed for 79 yards on 13 carries and scored on a TD catch on Sunday against the Vikings. Thus, the pecking order for the RBs in Baltimore has now been well established. Murray is the starter when healthy. Otherwise, Freeman starts and carries most of the load. RB LeVeon Bell saw significant carries last week and scored a late TD. That makes him the #3 RB, while RB Ty'Son Williams can now be cut for fantasy after not seeing a single touch in Sunday's game. It's been quite the fall from grace for Williams, but those are the breaks.

 

 

Is it truly time to worry about New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara? Well, when the Saints added RB Mark Ingram into the mix, it was clear that Kamara wouldn't see upwards of 30 touches in a game again. That said, this past Sunday, Kamara only saw 17 touches, while Ingram saw 14. Still, Kamara scored in the game, seeing key red zone touches, while he also caught 4 of 7 targets for 54 yards against the Falcons. Yes, the increased touches for Ingram, including five catches on five targets, are a bit concerning, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Bottom Line: The Saints need a healthy Kamara for the stretch drive and Ingram's play is all about keeping Kamara from wearing himself out. While it may lower the ceiling of Kamara a tad, that doesn't mean that Kamara can't do plenty with a bit less. In other words, it's not time to panic over one game. Hold and start Kamara each week, and as long as he's healthy, there won't be much to worry about. Trust me, here.

 

 

This past Sunday, both New England Patriots RB Damien Harris and RB Rhamondre Stevenson left the game against the Panthers with head injuries in the fourth quarter and neither returned. Both players are now in the concussion protocol, so it's a waiting game to see who recovers the fastest and who can play this week. Obviously, the one that recovers in time to play this week will be a solid fantasy start when the Patriots take on the Cleveland Browns. But what if both sit? Good question. The Patriots would then turn to a RBBC consisting of RB Brandon Bolden and RB J.J. Taylor. In that scenario, Bolden would likely have the most value and actually start the game, as the bigger and more experienced back. That said, Taylor would hold some value as a pass-catcher in PPR leagues. Any way you slice it, you know the Patriots will not abandon the running game in this instance, it's simply what they always do. Bottom Line: Play the waiting game and see who recovers to play later this week. That said, picking up Bolden now is a smart move, while grabbing Taylor could even pay off if the chips fall right.

 

 

In the two previous weeks, I discussed the shaky RBBC in Philadelphia. Well, things have changed again. Just when it appeared that RB Boston Scott would lead the team, the Eagles threw us another curve and RB Jordan Howard led the way, seeing 17 carries against the Chargers and rushing for a score. Now, Howard did not see a target in the passing game, but with RB Miles Sanders still injured on IR, Howard has some decent value this week when the Eagles take on the resurgent Denver Broncos. In addition, the Eagles have more favorable match-ups on their schedule for the run just in case Sanders misses more time. Bottom Line: Howard may only start one more week, but that might not be the case, so grabbing him for a quick fix is not only smart, but he could have some long-term value too.

 

 

It's been a frustrating season if you own San Francisco 49ers rookie RB Trey Sermon. Once expected to be their back of the near future, it's become clear that Sermon is only viewed as a backup and reserve back. The third-round rookie returned to being a healthy inactive after RB Jeff Wilson Jr. returned to the active roster on Sunday. Bottom Line: San Francisco did not change their strategy at running back, giving rookie RB Elijah Mitchell nearly all of the early-down work and RB JaMycal Hasty nearly all of the third down work. Wilson did not even see any snaps in his first game back, but he could join the rotation with more practice time under his belt. That makes Sermon the clear #4 RB, which means he will be inactive most weeks barring an injury to the others moving forward. And that means fantasy owners in re-drafter leagues can feel free to safely cut the rookie.

 

 

Let's take a look at some of the other more notable RB performances from last week... New York Jets RB Ty Johnson scored on 6 touches with 2 catches against the Colts last Thursday. Indianapolis Colts RB Nyheim Hines scored on 10 touches with 4 catches last Thursday against the Jets. Carolina Panthers RB Ameer Abdullah saw 5 touches with 4 catches on Sunday against the Patriots. Las Vegas Raiders RB Kenyan Drake saw 10 touches with 6 catches on Sunday against the Giants. Arizona Cardinals RB Eno Benjamin scored on 9 rushes for 39 yards on Sunday against the 49ers. Tennessee Titans RB D'Onta Foreman saw 5 carries for 29 yards on Sunday night against the Rams. Los Angeles Rams RB Sony Michel scored on 9 touches with 2 catches on Sunday night against the Titans.

 

 

New York Jets rookie WR Elijah Moore has been biding his time all season, but he finally got his chance to shine last Thursday night in Indianapolis. Moore produced his best game of the season in terms of catches (6) and yards (67) two weeks ago, which made him a waiver-wire target for some fantasy players. He followed that up against the Colts by scoring his first two TDs of his NFL career. He also set a new career-highs in catches (7) and receiving yards (84). Moore has been competing with WR Keelan Cole for snaps all season, but this was the second time this season that he out-snapped Cole while they were both healthy. That is the good news. The bad? Well, WR Corey Davis (hip) missed the last game, opening the door for Moore. Unfortunately, the fact that Davis is expected to play this week takes the shine off Moore. However, if QB Mike White starts over QB Zach Wilson (knee), then perhaps Moore might get more attention, since Wilson's favorite target is clearly Davis. As such, Moore remains an interesting fantasy free-agent waiver wire target this week, if only for his future potential.

 

 

Dallas Cowboys WR Malik Turner scored twice on Sunday. What happened? Good question. Unfortunately, both of his scores came in pure garbage time. Turner played only one offensive snap in the first 54 minutes of the game, and then he played significantly when they were down 30-0 to the Denver Broncos. What does that make Turner? It makes him the #6 WR for the team, one step away from being a healthy inactive. Bottom Line: WR Michael Gallup (calf - IR) is expected to play this week, meaning there is more than a good chance that Turner will be inactive. And that means all fantasy owners in need of help at wideout should AVOID Turner and his one-week wonder of fantasy production!

 

 

Last week, I talked about how the release of WR DeSean Jackson by the Rams was a good thing for WR Van Jefferson, and I stand by that comment. Fortunately, god things might also be heading D-Jax's way. Why? Well, he just signed with the deep threat needy Las Vegas Raiders! As such, he will be the direct replacement for former Raiders WR Henry Ruggs, as they were two of the seven wide receivers with over a 17.0 aDOT (average depth of target) and over 30 targets over the last two seasons. The difference is actually that Jackson has graded better in that time. The current replacement for Ruggs is WR Zay Jones, but it shouldn't take long for Jackson to overtake Jones in playing time for his new team. And if he develops quick chemistry with QB Derek Carr, he could make a significant fantasy impact sooner than you may think. Therefore, smart fantasy owners who need a boost at wideout should consider a grab and stash of D-Jax for future use!

 

 

Atlanta Falcons WR Olamide Zaccheaus caught three passes for 58 yards and two touchdowns to help lead the Falcons to a shocking victory over the Saints on Sunday in New Orleans. Despite his success, Zaccheaus remains the clear third wide receiver in Atlanta's offense. In addition, the Falcons use more two tight end sets than most teams and more two running back sets. That fact means less snaps for Zaccheaus in most games, making it very tough to make a significant impact in this system. In fact, Zaccheaus had only caught one pass in each of the previous two games, so this one game is certainly not a real trend, but more fluke than anything else. As a result, you will find Zaccheaus very low in my fantasy free agent WRs rankings list for you to consider this week!

 

 

Cleveland Browns WR Donovan Peoples-Jones garnered some fantasy sleeper intrigue to begin the season, but never started a game with WR Odell Beckham Jr. healthy. Well, that changed on Sunday when the Browns waived OBJ (officially Monday), so DPJ got the start. While he only caught two passes, they went for a 60-yard score and a nice 26 yard gain. This was DPJ's third straight game with at least 70 yards receiving. The game script and time of possession translated into the Browns only attempting 21 passes in the game, but DPJ sure made an impact. In future weeks, DPJ should see more targets and gain plenty of yards, making him a very nice and intriguing fantasy free-agent waiver wire acquisition for owners in need at help at the wideout position.

 

 

The Arizona Cardinals did some major shuffling of their wideout corps for Sunday's game against the 49ers when both WR DeAndre Hopkins (hamstring) and WR A.J. Green (COVID-19) did not play. This forced WR Christian Kirk to play on the outside, so rookie WR Rondale Moore could play in the slot, while WR Antoine Wesley played over WR Andy Isabella in the other receiver spot. Kirk played well, catching all six passes thrown his way for 91 yards, and even completing a pass. As for Moore, he caught all five short targets for only 25 yards. Wesley made an impact by catching all 3 of his targets for 62 yards. Keep an eye on the health of Hopkins and Green this week, as both Moore and Wesley could have more fantasy value as a quick fix this week if both Hopkins and Green sit again. As for Kirk, he remains a must start for his owners as long as both Hopkins and Green sit, and is a nice flex play if just one sits.

 

 

The following wideouts caught at least two passes or scored this past weekend and deserve fantasy consideration: New York Jets WR Jamison Crowder (5-38), Indianapolis Colts WR Zach Pascal (4-58), Atlanta Falcons WR Russell Gage (7-64), New Orleans Saints WR Tre'Quan Smith (3-53), New Orleans Saints WR Deonte Harris (6-52), New Orleans Saints WR Marquez Callaway (3-25-1), Denver Broncos WR Tim Patrick (4-85-1), Miami Dolphins WR Mack Hollins (3-22-1), Las Vegas Raiders WR Hunter Renfrow (7-49-1), Baltimore Ravens WR Rashod Bateman (5-52), San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk (6-89-1), Green Bay Packers WR Randall Cobb (3-50), Los Angeles Rams WR Van Jefferson (3-41), Chicago Bears WR Allen Robinson (4-68), and Chicago Bears WR Darnell Mooney (1-15-1, 3-41-1).

 

 

 

 

Chicago Bears TE Cole Kmet is coming off his best game of his NFL career. On Monday at Pittsburgh, Kmet caught 6 of 8 targets for 87 yards against a quality Steelers defense. He certainly has been more involved in the passing game in recent weeks. This was his fourth-straight game with five or more targets. Granted, he still hasn't scored a touchdown yet this season, but he is certainly trending in the right direction towards a more consistent existence for fantasy. And while I've said Kmet owners should consider SELLING HIGH coming off this game, if you are struggling for production at the tight end position and Kmet is on your league waiver wire, then by all means go out and grab him! The potential it there for more decent games moving forward!

 

 

I had a feeling that Pittsburgh Steelers rookie TE Pat Freiermuth would eventually break out in 2021. That game happened on Monday night, when the young rookie scored TWO TDs against a good Bears secondary. Granted, his rise to fantasy notoriety coincides with TE Eric Ebron's injury, but it's clear that Big Ben likes Freiermuth and certainly trusts him to make the big catches in traffic. With Ebron out, Freiermuth ran more passing routes, while TE Zach Gentry was used more in run-blocking situations. In the game overall, played 51 of 72 snaps, ran 26 routes, and was targeted a team-high 6 times making 5 catches for 43 yards and the two scores. Now, thee is no guarantee that Freiermuth will become an every-down pass-catching TE for the Steelers immediately, but his three overall recent scores are a good indication of what may happen. Hey! At least there is no doubt that Freiermuth is worth of strong fantasy free-agent consideration if you need help at TE!

 

 

Notice the I said "consider" and not "reconsider" in the above headline. Yes, I'm finally giving in that fantasy owners in larger TE-required leagues should actually give some consideration to picking up New Orleans Saints TE Adam Trautman. Why? Well, second-year tight end has finally become a larger part of the Saints passing offense as the season has progressed. He's played more than 86% of the offensive snaps in each of the past four games. This pat Sunday, Trautman had career highs in targets (7), catches (4) and yards (47) with TE Juwan Johnson chosen as a healthy inactive. Much like TE Cole Kmet, who I discussed earlier, Trautman is not a slam dunk to produce solid numbers in every game moving forward, but you can say one thing about Trautman right now... everything is trending in the right direction for him. And that is what makes him an option for fantasy owners struggling in larger TE-required leagues.

 

 

The following tight ends caught at least two passes this past weekend or scored and deserve fantasy consideration: New York Jets TE Ryan Griffin (4-28-1), Cleveland Browns TE David Njoku (1-18-1), Cincinnati Bengals TE C.J. Uzomah (4-24), Jacksonville Jaguars TE Dan Arnold (4-60), Minnesota Vikings TE Tyler Conklin (5-45), Los Angeles Chargers TE Donald Parham (3-39-1), Los Angeles Chargers TE Stephen Anderson (4-39-1), and Tennessee Titans TE Geoff Swaim (4-29-1).

 

The following is the 9^th in-season free agent player rankings list for the 2021 NFL season. If you're looking for a free agent off your leagues' waiver wire to fill a need (maybe depth), these are the players to consider...

 

 

 

End.